10 Wrestlers Who Cracked WWE's Secret Code

2. Randy Orton

If the ultimate goal of professional wrestling is to get as much as possible from as little as possible, Randy Orton has got it all figured out.

Orton's approach to the sport borders on genius. Electing to become a more visceral, dynamic, and exciting physical worker earlier in his career may have made for a more interesting run, but why bother? While the extra level of exertion and inevitable physical wear and tear that would've come with this would have surely made his body of work more worthy of 'Greatest Of All Time' conversations, the increased levels of exertion and physical wear and tear may have proven unsustainable.

Randy figured out early in his run that the right physical presentation and an incredible, crowd-popping finisher would help carry him. Thus, he crafted an arsenal of cool-looking signature moves, found his charisma, and chose a life that would bring him immense success without the costs felt by his more hard-bumping peers.

None of this is to say that Orton hasn't worked hard to get to where he is, nor that he hasn't worked his share of painful spectacles over the years. Regardless, Orton is the king of working smarter. He'll go down as a WWE canon G.O.A.T. without leaving the sport in a wheelchair.